Atmosphere Feels - Helping Readers Feel the Characters and Setting

Happy Friday, everyone! Holy cow, what a week, huh? It's been blazing trails here on my desk. Huge edit, schedules for bloggers, handling the radio show, and blogging every day have me so confuddled, I'm not sure whether to scratch my watch or wind my butt. But! Today, I'm all about the writing tip! I had a discussion with Teal Haviland, creator of the awesome website My Endless Endings (it's like a smashup of Facebook and Goodreads), and she suggested a post on atmosphere and feels. So, we'll be talking atmosphere and all the feels your character can get from their surroundings (and how to communicate that to the reader). Grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

So, your character is on their journey, and they walk into a room. Let's do this via examples. My character will be named Teal, and she's going to her grandmother's house.

     Teal stepped into the room and plopped down on a sofa, putting her feet on the coffee table. A teapot was sitting nearby, and she snagged a cup, filling it with the hot liquid. She took a sip, and relaxed as she waited for her grandmother to come downstairs.
     After waiting for half an hour, Teal wondered what was taking Grandma so long. Something felt off. She usually made an appearance within five minutes or so, and Teal was getting worried. Carefully, she put down the cup, rose to her feet, and walked back to the foyer to look up the stairs.

Okay, there's Teal in her environment. You all know I'm not one of those writers that goes into a ton of description. However, there's a time and a place for everything. You need tension in this scene, so description and engagement of the five senses will help. Remember this post. Yeah, only this time we're talking about how the environment impacts the character's feels. If you have your Feelings Workbook, pull it out now. Let's edit!

     Teal stepped over the threshold to a dimly lit foyer. Shivers ran down her spine when she inhaled and the musky scent of the house assaulted her. Moving to the living room, she sat on the flower-print couch, wondering where the plastic cover went, and put her feet on the antique coffee table. A silver tray with a porcelain teapot and cups was nearby, and she tossed a sugar cube in one of the cups before pouring over the liquid. She took a sip, wrinkling her nose at the bitterness of the drink, being careful not to burn her tongue, and sat back as her eyes scanned the room and she waited for her grandmother to come downstairs.
     Time ticked by, increasing the unease Teal felt when she entered. Where was Grandma? She always arrived within five minutes to spread the latest gossip from the other blue-haired ladies in the neighborhood.
     Teal's shoes clicked on the floor when she put her feet down. In the absolute still, it was like a gunshot. She winced, carefully put down the cup, and removed her shoes. Holding the slingbacks by their straps, she rose and tip-toed back to the foyer. Her heart pounded in her chest and echoed in her ears.
     One of the floorboards in the ancient wood creaked, and she paused, ticking back her ears. Dread slammed into her, and she let her gaze float up the stairs, tracking the fresh boot prints on the beige carpet.

In the first passage, you understand something's not quite right at Grandma's house. In the second, you feel like it's something sinister. Smell, sight, sounds, touch, and taste are all engaged.

Why? What's the difference?

In the first passage, there's little to no description of the environment or how it's impacting the character. If the surroundings don't have a feeling, your reader won't feel. Sure, you can tell them, but they want to feel it, too. You have to show in this case. If you noticed, from the content of passage two, we're now aware plastic is missing, the lights are dim, the tea is hot, it's too quiet in the house, and there are fresh boot prints on the carpet.

What do you think Teal will find based on the first passage? How about the second?

What do you feel when you read each one?

We can bring a lot out by describing the atmosphere of the character's environment, and it'll translate to the reader. I do ask that you use this tactic sparingly. Pages and pages of description will bog your reader (and your story) down.

Now you try it. Start with a passive scene, and make it an active scene.

Let's see your results. Don't be scared to share!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Creating Feelings Workbooks

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! It's writing tip day, and I've got some great exercises that'll keep you on the edge of your seat, and they'll keep you writing; that's the most important thing. If you've read my post titled "Indescribable, and Why it Cannot Work for a Writer," you'll be one step into this process already. So, grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Have you ever been in a rut? One of the ones that have you pulling your hair out and wishing you could meet that deadline with great words instead of mediocre ones you slapped on the page out of haste?

Sometimes, all you need is a little muse push. This exercise can help you frame your writing for drawing on later.

What the heck do I mean?

Stay with me.

If you're feeling something, anything, that's a great place for any novel to grow. Even if you're overwhelmed by the size and pressure of the task ahead.

Here's what I want you to do:

• Open a new document
• Center your cursor at the top
• Think about how you're feeling in the moment
• Type that word in
• Hit enter
• Left flush your cursor and use a cliche (angry = mad as a mashed cat)
• Now hit enter again
• Highlight those two lines (the one with the cliche and the blank one) and click numbered list
• Create more than twenty-five sentences that tell how angry feels
• Save the document as: Feelings_YourEmotionHere so you can find it when you need it later

I know what you're thinking. Twenty-five, Jo? Twenty-frikkin-five! You must be smoking crack.

But I'm not. Plus, I asked for more than twenty-five. *grin* If you stick with it, expand upon your few word descriptions to great phrases. I'll get to when and where this will come in handy in a few minutes. I think it goes without saying that I don't want you to worry about being grammatically correct. Just let it flow.

Let me go with depressed as an example.

1. Empty nest
2. Wrapped in a shroud
3. In a dark place
4. If the world explodes, I'll be one lucky bastard
5. Rocks in my stomach
6. Lead weights on my shoulders
7. Fog obscuring my every thought
8. Windows blackened so I can't see daylight
9. As though a bat has wrapped me in leathery wings, stealing my breath
10. Tiny and insignificant
11. If I weren't around, no one would notice or care
12. Numb all over
13. Brain in a cloud that prevents me from thinking happy thoughts, as though I'll never find joy again
14. Everyone is out to get me because I'm like the buzzing fly puking my acid on their food so I can slurp it up in my misery of short life
15. Desire to step out of my mortal shell and walk where I might get a glimpse of the light my heart craves but has been denied for so long
16. Scum on the top of a pond that only exists to be feasted on by parasitic insects determined to suck every ounce of nourishment out of me to feed themselves
17. Hands shaking, brain racing, heart dead and unfeeling
18. Life sucked out of me through a hole in my heart made, ripped, and gaping because of the cruelty of the people in my life
19. A dark cloak descending from the sky, fluttering down delicately, inviting me in, promising me warmth and safety, only to choke me when I accepted its black embrace that siphoned the will to live
20. Blank stares filled with thoughts of everything lost throughout the years is all my mind can focus on
21. Tingles rushing through my fingers, up my arms, twining around my heart as they beg me to let go of my own soul; to free my spirit so it can glide away through the ether, leaving me in peaceful nothingness
22. Weight pressing down on me, and a twenty-ton monkey on my back who insists on dragging me the wrong way--away from the success, happiness, and assurance I crave
23. Back cramps that slowly make their way around my ribs, creating pressure on my abdomen I can't release, suffocating me as my breath is stolen and my lung capacity closing down inch by inch
24. Heat in my head threatening to burst forth from my eyes in the form of tears I'm convinced will be crimson if allowed to flow
25. No desire to move, breathe, or think as my senses shut down, one by one, leaving me bereft
26. Every reflection of myself making me want to lash out at the person on the other side, because I know she's worth nothing

You don't have to stop there. Keep going until you can't. This is just to show you it can be done. It only took me about twenty minutes, so it's not a terribly time-consuming exercise. Yeah, I'm feeling a little depressed right now. Why? Because I had to step into it to make it come out. What I'm asking you to do is write about it when you're feeling it. You can probably see the progression above, yeah?

Now, I bet you're wondering how this can help you in your writing, huh?

This is the awesome part. If you ever need a way to describe how a depressed character is feeling, you just created more than twenty-five descriptions of depression you can copy and paste into your manuscript. Never just say your character was feeling depressed. Use what you know to bring that feeling to life on the page for your reader.

It can also help you by becoming an outlet, like a journal, where you know you can write stuff down honestly. If you get it out, it'll help you deal with those feelings in a positive manner.

Don't just write about being sad, depressed, or overwhelmed. Be sure you're sitting down to fill out pages for happiness, excitement, or curiosity. You need everything in your writing arsenal.

What do you think? Do you use methods like this to help your writing? Tell me, and other readers, how you do it and how it helps!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Improving Your Writing with a Journal

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! I hope you all had a super fabulous weekend and are ready to kick the week off with a bang. Today, I'm gonna talk to you all about keeping a journal and discuss how it may help you in your writing life. So, grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Journal
/ˈjərnl/
noun
1. A newspaper or magazine that deals with a particular subject or professional activity.
2. A daily record of news and events of a personal nature; a diary.

As you can imagine, I'm talking about the second definition of the word. But we'll take it a step further and add to that definition. Now, it'll read: A daily record of news, events, and emotions from a singular individual of a personal nature; a diary.

If you take five to ten minutes a day and write down your feelings or news topics that piqued your interest, you'll end up with an invaluable resource for your novels. I've talked about creating a feelings bible before, but this is something different.

Because you'll be writing in it every day, those emotions will be fresh. Feelings you had will still be on the tip of your fingers and ready to be slapped down on the page.

How does one journal feelings?

Think about a particular incident where you were taken aback by the reaction you had, or consider how something might have made you over-the-top happy. Write down what happened, then go on to describe your feelings about it in vivid detail.

Engage all five senses when you write these things down: Smell, Taste, Sight, Touch, Sound.

Go bananas. If you were angry, let it all out. Be real because you'll only be lying to yourself if you aren't.

What you'll find, after a month or so, is that you have a wonderful record of situational impact on a human being's emotional state. You'll know the situation, the players, and the results. Not only that, but you'll be able to recall things that interest you as a person.

You can also go sit in a cafe or coffee shop and journal other people. Yes, you'll have to guess about their feelings; but, chances are, you've been in a similar situation and can get pretty close to the physical fallout of a given situation. If you're an outgoing type (most authors aren't haha), go ask the person how they're feeling and write it all down. Take note of their facial expressions, posture, and vernacular.

Once you have this gem of a written record, put it somewhere you can get to it when you're stuck on a particularly emotional scene in a novel. If you already have a feelings bible, add some of the content from the journal.

I promise, it's never a waste of your time to get in touch with Human Nature (that's a link to another blog post series I did on the Jo Michaels blog that will give you some awesome insight into what makes us tick).

What do you think? Do you already have a feelings bible or journal? How has it helped?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Imagery and Writing Places You've Been

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm discussing writing about places you've been. It's something I've discussed before when I talked about keeping a feelings bible and when talking about writing what you know. If you're new to the blog, welcome! Take a moment and check out those links. Then, grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Almost everyone I know has a cell phone. 99% of cell phones have cameras. This is what I implore you to do: Take photos of your surroundings when you visit a place and use them in your feelings bible as soon as you return. Add a picture and say what you remembered feeling as you were in the space. It'll give you a two-fold return. 1. You'll have the feeling down before you can forget what it was. 2. Imagery will help you recall how to describe the location.

Time for examples!
The Best Boyfriend in the World and I went to a B&B in Dahlonega, Georgia, called the Mountain Laurel Creek Inn & Spa. I took some photos of the room in case I want one of my characters to visit there one day. Because I live in Georgia, a lot of my books will be set here. Makes sense, right? Here's what I wrote in my feelings bible and the images that went along with them:

What a lovely decor this room has. Lighting made me feel like I was in a five-star hotel and the room smelled lovely. I couldn't wait to lay in the huge bed and feel the sheets! *They turned out to be softer than a chinchilla, which I have touched in the past* I could live in this room and be happy as a lark. I was filled with a sense of peace as I entered.

One of the best things about the space was the furniture. It all looked like it was reclaimed or antique, but it all worked together seamlessly. There was this interesting table that looked like it was made from tree branches near the door. Colors were bright yet seductive in a wow kind of way. That closet could've held a small city!

An old makeup table reminded me of a sewing table and brought back memories of my mother and her sewing machine. I loved sitting in the big, squishy chairs on the floor. That unit in the corner was a fireplace and we had our own air conditioner which made for a perfect temperature experience.

What can I say about the bathtub other than, "WOW!" We both fit in it very nicely and the jets felt so good on our achy muscles. Settling down in the water, I felt all my stress melt away.

In the shower was something I'd never seen: dispensers for soap and shampoo! My hair and skin felt so soft after I used the on-site products. They obviously spared no expense with the toiletries. Wearing those robes was like wrapping up in butter. Soft and warm, they were top of the line.

Reaction: Wow! Ooooh! Ahhhh! I want that!





Descriptions, photographs, and feelings you had are all integral to the writing process. Don't leave anything out! It's not difficult to snap a few pics for later reference.

Just in case you missed it, I'm posting the rafflecopter entry form from the IBGW blog here. This is a gorgeous book and has some awesome reviews. I haven't read it myself, but I formatted it for print! If you like pretty, enter to win a copy!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck to you all!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo